“You look exhausted, Claire,” she said.
Ethan smirked behind his coffee cup.
I placed lunch on the dining table. Roast chicken. Garlic potatoes. White wine. Her favorites.
The performance needed to be flawless.
Evelyn sat at the head of the table.
My chair.
“Ethan tells me you’ve come to your senses,” she said.
I poured wine into her crystal glass. “Did he?”
“He said you were emotional last night.” She smiled. “Young wives often are. Marriage requires discipline.”
Ethan leaned back in his chair, relaxed and smug. He believed the makeup hid everything. He believed the house belonged to him. He believed I was broken.
“You’ll clear out the guest room tomorrow,” Evelyn continued. “I’ll move my things in this weekend.”
“Of course,” I replied softl
Ethan grinned. “See? Was that so difficult?”
“No,” I said calmly. “Not difficult at all.”
My composure unsettled him for a split second. Then Evelyn laughed, and his confidence returned.
